SEO is now AIO - Why Your Website Matters More Than Ever now that Google and ChatGPT are Players in the Game
Why Your Website Matters More Than Ever now that Google and ChatGPT are Players in the Game:
You may have heard that Google made quite the ‘splashy’ announcement last week … that AIO is replacing SEO … what does this mean for you and your small business being found? A lot. And none of it includes being found on Instagram … Ironically, Google's newfound focus on community discussions doesn't make websites less important: It makes websites more important … but what makes your website strong is changing … according to the powers that be.
As people use Ai more and more, potential clients are increasingly moving through a two-step trust process that looks something like this:
Step 1: Discover information through AI summaries, reviews, discussions, Reddit threads, and recommendations.
Step 2: Visit the actual business website to determine the credibility.
Here is my question in regards to Step 2 … if someone has dumped on you (whether deserved or not) on a community thread, will anyone even move to Step 2? IMO, no.
When someone lands on your website, they're asking one question: "Are these people actually good at what they do?" - but what if they are coming off a Reddit post where someone RANTS on your services … will they even care to visit your website? I say no.
The issue with community driven conversations is that people on Reddit are emotionally charged and they are leaving out how they were (possibly) involved in the ‘situation’ at hand … let’s say they were terrible communicators and had other things going on that made them extremely angry at their vendors … will that be told on the Reddit post? No. Will there be accountability and context for their rant? No. And guess what?? The post will stay up. Probably FOREVER. This is an issue and we all need to be aware of this issue. If you have a person venting about your business on Reddit, that could haunt you in a big way starting now.
Now, all that aside, your website still has to communicate expertise, professionalism, personality, trust, and experience … for those coming off Reddit with a good feeling … and if they came off a bad review and STILL wanted to see your website (because there are some people who know Reddit rants have ZERO context and are onesided) … a weak website will become even more noticeable when users arrive already informed … a bad review AND a bad website??? Oh, boy … bad news.
WHAT BUSINESSES NEED TO FOCUS ON KNOWING THIS NEWS:
Here is what Chat says: Rather than panicking about Reddit rankings, businesses should focus on creating content that demonstrates actual expertise and real-world experience. Since that sentence came right off ChatGPT … here is my redo on that … Rather than doing the normal thing, which is panicking about how important Reddit will become, update your website to support REAL WORLD experience and showcase why you are the sh*t in your field. Basically, posting reviews from real clients, showcasing how long you’ve been in business with a large portfolio of work, and talk like a real person … I mean, who even READS websites anyway?? The answer: GOOGLE and CHATGPT … they are reading your website … and it’s gonna matter.
But the real issue is: getting beyond the community converstations … and I don’t have an answer for that. I am seeing 10 steps ahead and I see a bloodbath … what’s stopping someone from creating a fake Reddit account and blasting their top competitor? Who is going to fact check it? Who will know? How do you contact someone at Reddit and get it taken down? The answers to those questions are sadly unfortunate for all small business owners. But, this wave we shall ride either way … so in the spirit of being adaptable:
Here are some actionables for your website:
Talk about your process.
Share client stories.
Answer questions people genuinely ask.
Write content based on what happens inside your business every day.
Show your perspective.
Being authentic, showing experience, being specific, sharing helpful insights, and being a REAL HUMAN (which is laughable since everyone is using robots to find the real human …) is going to be key now … deep sigh … I started out this way as a business owner before social media, before websites … in the olden days, we business owners would call places up and introduce our business and network in real life … so now we are taking that original model and putting it online. Oh, the irony.
Am I worried? Yep. Do I want to fight this with all that I have? Yes indeed. Will that attitude help me or my clients? NOPE … so embrace we must. I’m personally going to do my best to attack this with a positive attitude and try to see the best in people … but as long as places like Reddit exist, none of us are truly safe from the drama that site ensues … The lesson here I think is: don’t be fake … be real … have real moments online … use your voice … and be a human.
XO~ Heather
